Burial-vault.



C A. ALBRECHT.

BURIAL VAULT.

APPLlCATlON FILED JUNE 14. 1915.

Patented July 4, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

C. A. ALBRECHT.

BURIAL VAULT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14. 1915.

1 ,1 89,646. Patented July 4, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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PATENT OFFICE.

CARL A. ALBRECHT, OF GALION', OHIO.

BUBIAL-VAULT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4, 1916.

Application filed June 14, 1915. Serial No. 33,982.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CARL A. ALBRECHT, a citizen of the United States, residin at Galion, in the county of Crawford and tate of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burial-Vaults, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to burial vaults and more particularly to burial vaults of the air sealed type.

It is one aim of the invention to provide in a vault of this type means for automatically permanently lockln the cover in place upon the base of the van t when the cover is lowered to position resting upon the said base.

Another aim of the invention is to so construct the locking means mentioned above that the same may be rendered inactive for the purpose of shipping the vault and may be rendered active when the vault is to be used.

Another aim of the invention is to so construct the locking means and the support therefor that the same will constitute also means for guiding and centering the cover of the vault as the cover is lowered to position resting upon the base.

The invention further contemplates so forming the lower portions of the walls of the cover that these portions will serve as keepers for locking the members or latches upon the base, and incidentally the formation of the said walls not only serves this purpose but adds to the attractive appearance of the vault.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view 0 the vault embodying the resent invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view therethi Jugh. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the vault closed. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom or base of the vault. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical trar averse sectional view through a ortion of one wall of the cover and throug a portion of the base and illustrating in elevation one of the locking devices for the said cover, the cover in this fi ure being illustrated partly lowered to c osing position. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but illustratin the cover completely lowered. Fig. 7 is a etail vertical transverse sectional view throu h a portion of the supporting device for t e casket and illustrating the means whereby the casket is so supported as to permit of ready slipping of the lowering straps.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

Generally speaking .the vault embodying the present invention comprises a base provided with means for supporting the casket, a cover constructed to be disposed upon the base, and means upon the base for automatically locking the cover in place when the same is disposed thereon.

In the drawings, the base is indicated in general by the numeral 1 and is of sheet metal of the desired thickness and the said base has its marginal portions turned under, as indicated by the numeral 2, so as to reinforce the base and at the same time impart a neat appearance to the said edges of the base. By reference to the drawings it will be observed that the base proper has a plane upper face. The supporting means for the casket includes longitudinal supporting bars 3 which extend parallel to each other and to the longitudinal edges of the base and which have their end portions turned downwardly at an angle, as indicated at 4, and their extremities turned inwardly and secured by rivets or otherwise, as at 5, to the said base. The portions 4 are located adjacent the end edges of the base and are inclined u wardly and in a direction inwardly away rom the said edges. In the drawings, two of the supporting members 3 are illustrated, but it will be understood that if desired a greater number of these members may be employed. In addition to the longitudinal members 3, the supporting means includes transverse members 6 which are riveted or otherwise secured, as at 7, to the upper sides of the members 3 and which extend parallel to each other and to the end edges of thebase. Any desired number of the su porting members 6 may be employed and they may be relatively spaced in any manner desired. Each of the members 6 has its end portions turned downwardly, at an angle, as at 8, in a manner corresponding to the ortions 4, and its extremities turned inward as at 9, and secured to the upper side of t e base. The portions 8, as Wlll be observed by reference to Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawin s, are located relatively close to the longitu inal edges of the base. As stated above, the transverse supporting members 6 are secured to the upper sides of the members 3 by means of rivets 7 and by reference to Fig. 7 of the draw- 63 clearly shown in Fig. 6 of the ings it will be observed that a casket disosed upon the supporting structure will have the under side of its bottom spaced above the longitudinal supporting members 3 a distance equal to the combined thickness of the transverse member 6 and the securing upper head of the rivet 7 therefor, and in practice this space will be sufiicient to permit of the ready slipping of the lowering straps beneath the bottom of the casket and between the same and the said members 3. In order to prevent sagging of the intermediate portions of the members 6, braces are secured one to the under side of each of the said members at a point substantiallfy midway between its ends and each 0 these braces includes a connecting portion 10 and downwardly diverging legs 11, the connecting portion of each supporting member being secured to the respective member 6 and the lower ends of the legs ofeach brace resting against the upper surface of the base 1.

The cover of the vault includes a top 12 which is preferably transversely arched or curved and, side walls 13 and end walls 14, the cover being open at its bottom and being adapted to be disposed with the lower edges of its side and end walls resting upon, the upper surface of the base. The lower marginal portions of the side and end walls 13 and ia; are struck laterally, as indicated at 1; 2 ortions occupying planes in clinetl ion to the vertical planes occuoi a ..e respective walls 13 or it The lo er edges of the portion 15 are struck in to firm hanges 16, all E which occupy common horizontal plane and it is the under sides of these flanges 16 which rest upon the surface the base when the cover is placed in position thereon. Not only does the formation of the inclined marginal portions 15 add to the attractive appearance of the cover, but these portions and the flanges l6 serve a further purpose to be presently explained.

The locking means for the cover comprises a. number of leaf spring latches 17 each pivotally secured at its upper end by means of a rivet 18 to one of the portions 8 of the transverse supporting member 6 near the upper end of the said portion, these leaf spring latches having a tendency to spring outwardly at their lower ends, and by reference to Fig. 5 of the drawings, it will be observed that as the cover is lowered into position upon the base, the edges of the flanges 16 at the sides of the cover will ride against the outer faces of the said latches and press inwardly toward the inclined portions 8 until the flanges have reached the lower ends of the said latches, whereupon the latches will spring'within the angle between the portions 15 and flanges 16 in the manner drawings,

the lower ends of the leaf spring latches occupying a position immediately above the said flanges 16 and in fact substantially in contact therewith. It will now be understood that :if after the cover has been placed in position, an attempt is made to remove the same, the flanges 16 striking against the latches will serve to prevent such removal. As stated above, the latches are pivotally secured by rivets 18 to the portions 8, and by reason of this construction, the latches may be swung upwardly to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6 of the drawings, when. it is desired to shift the vault with the cover in place upon the lid, and if desired, a securing wire or the like (not shown) may be attached to the upper ends of the spring latches, when in this position, and to the transverse supporting member 6 for the purpose of preventing accidental downward swinging movement of the latches to active position.

It is preferable that the cover be provided upon its side walls with handles which are indicated in the drawings by the numeral 19.

It will be apparent that inasmuch as the base of the vault has a fiat upper surface, the vault may at any polnt alon the lower edgesof side or end walls t ereof. It will. also be understood that latches may be appiied is the ends of the longitudinai member t" a base equally as well as 2'; tiers,

iced the invention, what luding a base, a cas" Mature mounted upon the base and coinp'ising longitudinal members having angrdariy extending ends secured to the base and transverse members having similar anguiarly extending ends secured to the base, a c ver fitting over the base and having its lower longitudinal edge bent inwardly to form a continuous inwardly extending flange bearing against the angularly extending ends of the longitudinal members, and locking devices secured to the u per portions of the angularly extending an s of the transverse members and coacting with the flange of the cover for holding the cover in position.

2. A burial vault including abase, intersecting transverse and longitudinal casket supporting members having their intermediate portions spaced from the upper surface of the base and their opposi e ends inclined downwardly and secured to the base in spaced relation to the margin thereof, flat springs having their upper ends secured to the upper portions of the inclined ends of the transverse bars and their lowerends normally spaced from the lower ends of said bars, and a cover resting on the base between the inclined ends of the transverse and longitudinal bars and the outer edge 1 the base and having the lower portion of side and end walls bent laterally and its wer longitudinal edges bent inwardly to rm a continuous inwardly extending flange lapted to bear against the inclined ends of e longitudinal and transverse bars, the wer ends of the spring latches being movrle to operative position within the laterally bent portion of the cover when the latter is placed in position on the base.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. CARL A. ALBRECHT. [n 8.] Witnesses:

CLARA Tnomsox', DEANC. TALBO'IT. 

